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PIH Fellow Designs PIH-Based Women’s Studies Elective

PIH Fellow, Sue Strickland, has been chosen by the Prince George County Maryland Public School district to draft the curriculum for a new Women’s Studies elective for juniors and seniors. Sue reports: "When asked to draft the curriculum guide for this project I was inspired by my PIH Summer Seminar at Auburn University in 2003 to utilize a problem-based approach. The curriculum is divided thematically into four units: Women’s Role in Society, Women Seek Political Rights, Women in the Workplace, and the Cultural Dynamics of Self-Perception. Each unit utilizes a focus question to guide student’s inquiry."

"Problem based history is ideal for this type of course," Sue explains. "The unit introduction, developmental lessons, and conclusion keep students centered on a persistent issue. The semester long course concludes with a project designed to mold all the units into a final, personal evaluation of women in American society today. Each developmental lesson concludes with additional suggested themes related to the persistent issue for the unit. This will allow teachers to move beyond the sample lessons to develop their own lessons while staying within a coherent developmental framework. I believe this elective course curriculum demonstrates how the PIH approach to history can transcend the traditional U.S. History course to make all Social Studies course offerings more dynamic and "student friendly."